Manufacture of tubes from paper, cardboard and the like materials



Aug. 1, 1933.

G. C. PATON ET AL MANUFACTURE 0F TUBES FROM PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND THELIKE MATERIALS Filed Oct. 15. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. l, 1933. 4 G.c. PAToN r Al. 1,920,881

MANUFACTURE OF TUBES FROM PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND THE LIKE MATERIALS FiledOct. l5, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. l, v1933. G. c. PATON Er A1.

MANUFACTURE OF TUBES FROM PAPER, CARDBOARIA), AND THE LIKE MATERIALSPatented Aug. 1 1933 PATENT oFFIcE MAN UFACTURE OF TUBES FROM PAPER,

CARDEOARD AND THE LIKE MATEREALS George Calvert Paton and .lames StanleyPaton, Liverpool, England, assignors to .lames Stanley Paton, Liverpool,England Application October 15,

1931, serai No.v 569,050,

Y and in Great Britain December 16, 1930 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus or the manufacture oftubes from cardboard,

paper or the like material.

In the making of containers by way of eX- ample, of cardboard or thelike material, it has Vbeen usual to form a long tube and to cut up thistube into short sections by a hand operated machine.

According to the present invention lengths of cardboard or the like tubeare cut up into short sections automaticallyY upon a machine.

The tubes are automatically fed one at a time in timed sequence to acradle by which they are fed upon a revolving mandrel. When the saidtube is in position upon the mandrel cutting tools, such as rotary discknives are automatically brought into engagement with the tube at anumber 'of set distances along it. Means are `subsequently put intooperation for auto- 20 matically stripping the severed lengths of tubefrom the mandrel.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in Whichz Y Figure 1 is a side elevation of oneform ofcoustruction ofthe machine.

. Figure 2 is/a'corresponding plan view.

Figure 3 is an end elevation.

yFigure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the cam path controlling thecrosshead in its forward and backward travel and causing a dwell at eachend of the forward and backward positions.v

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic end view of a modification while Figure 6 isa detail.

The frame consists of a `bed plate l and vertical brackets 2, 3, 4 andV5. .The brackets 3, 4

and 5 are interconnected by the crosshead guides 6 and 7. The mandrel 8extends from the main driven shaft 9 which rotates in suitable bearingsin the vertical brackets 2 vand 3 of the frame, and also a furtherbearing 10 having a projection 11 is rotatably mounted inthe rearcrosshead bracket 12 to engage the recess 13 in the Vend of the 'mandrel8 during the operation of severing the tubes.

A drum 14 carrying a cam track l15 is secured to the shaft 16 which isrotatably mounted in bearings in the parts 2, 3 and 4 of the frame andis driven from the main shaft 9 through two `sets of toothed wheels 17,18,19 and r20. I The pinion 17 on the main shaft 9 engaging the toothedwheel 18, secured to the counter shaft 21, which is rotatably mounted inthe parts 2 and 3 of the frame. The cam track 15 takes the form oi achannel section the Verticalwalls of which engage a roller 22 mounted onthe underside of the crosshead bracket 38 forming part of the rcarriageor cradle. It will be understood that normally only one of the saidvertical walls engage'theroller 22 during the traversing operation. 'Aset of pivotal'levers 23 are interconnectedat their lower ends bytoothed segments 24 so that when the roller 22 is travelling in thedirection of the arrow 25 the roller 22 engages the ends of the rst pairof pivotal levers 23 to open these to form a guiding wall, whereuponYthe other pair of pivotal levers rotate towards themto completely closethe gap from the reverse track as indicated by chain dotted lines inFigure 4 of the drawings.

` The diagonally arranged portions 15a and 15d ofV the cam track 15eiTect the traversing action of the carriage or cradle 26 while thecircumferential portions 15b and 15e at the ends of the -drum 14 causethe carriage or cradle 2'6 to rest or dwell for a predetermined periodof time. During the rest' period at the end 15b of the cam track 15,rotary cutting knives 27 which are adjustably mounted on the bracket 28secured to the shaft 29 are moved into engagement withV the long lengthof tube revolving Withthe mandrel 8 to cut this tube into short lengthsby engagement of the lever 30 through its roller 31 Awith the cam wheel32. The cam wheel 32 is securedV to the shaft 33 to Which is alsosecured 'the toothed wheel 34 engaging the pinion wheel 435 on the drumshaft 16 so that these parts are synchronized. v.The rotary knives 27are returned to the inoperative position by the spring 36 attached tothe frame.

The resultant severed short pieces of tube are stripped ofi` by theprojection 37 of the crosshead bracket 38.

The crosshead brackets 12 and 38 are interconnected by stay bolts 39 Ytoform a cradle or carriage 26 for the reception of the long length oftubefrom the chute or guide 40. The chute 40 is fed from any suitableconveyor (not shown) and has stops 41 in the form of upstanding 1everssecured to spindles 42 rotatably mounted on the guideway or chute 40with a further set of stops 43 secured in spaced relationship with thestops 41 to the spindles 42 and substantially at 90, so that when thestops 41 are rotated through 90"` to release a length of tube from theguideway 46 the second pair of stops 43 project upwards to prevent morethan one tube being released to enter the cradle 26. Therefore it willbe understood that the interval between the pairs Vso of stops 4l and 43is slightly greater than the diameter of a tube so that the second pairof stops'43 rocks up to temporarily hold the tubes in the guideway 40Vbehind the one which is being delivered into the cradle 26.

The stops 41 are l'normally vertical due to the action of the spring 44secured at oney end to the parts 4 and 5 of the frame.

tube by' a projection 46 onlthe c rosshead bracket 12 which engages aprojection 47..'whenA the cradle or carriage is travelling to thecharging or starting position. i v

The' cradle or carriage 26 consists of two cross,-V head brackets 12 and38 interconnected by stay bolts 39 (as previously stated) which brackets12 and 38 slidably engage the guide portions 6V and 7 of the frame.. Theleading crosshead bracket 38 has a roller 22 mounted 'below to engagethe campatli l'onthcdrum 1,4 to cause the cradle or Carriage 26. to.vbvetraversed forward and backward. The tube. when released. from thechute or hopper 40.- drops upon two pivotal radial sections 48whiphholds, this t o ac t as a guide together with'th e xed radialportion 49 arranged at the lower'end of the chute 4Q thus serving tosupport, and. guido the. cardboard or :the like tube.A until it.transicrred. to the mandreL, Immediatelyafter the tube has been re..-oeived in the., cradle 2 6 the, roller 2.2. engaging the cam track 1.5.leaves the circumferential portion 1.51:. oi thetrack and is. displaced.longitudinally oi. the. machine by the diagonally arranged guido i511.,on. they d rurn to transicrrthe tulooirom. the cradle or carriage 2 6:to the mandrel8. bythe aidof aguide, or abutment. 10a arranged on therear crosshcad bracket. 1.2,v the portion 11 of this abutment. servingas. a. bearing for the` mandrel .8, during the. cutting operation...

. The guide-.ory abutment. 10o. rotates in ball .bearing so, that the,cardboard or Athe like, tube free tarotate-withthe mandrel 8 during theoperation cf p ushiiigthe tube ori-,to tho. mandrel.

The. front; bracket; 38, of.. theoradlc, 26.11% mounted upon it oSlidablc. portion 38d Whihst the endcf; itsforwardtravel engasosthoadjustablv fixed, Stop .5.4 on. the ,parti 4,: of.A the frame, Vwhich iscausedto movev out o f its normal vrelationship with the bracketv.behgnorrnally ,heldby a. spring` 38D. soL thatwhile the( tube is free.to. drop between the front. andrearmcrosshead. brackets 3.8andi 12rspectiyelythe, ar-

rangement just. described closes the,y gall. between the stops. therebyensuring that the, tube with its printed labclsisain, thefwcorrectrelationship4 with; the rotary, cutting. knives, 2,7, to, severthese tubes and alsof toA trim` very.y short lengths of tubejfrom theends of long tube.Y

. The cutting operation: is eiected duringA the rest; period of.; theLCradle, or Carriaee; at, the ioizvrardcnd oi its stroke; and;immodiately, after the outtinsisnives 2.7' have bocn.- rocked into theinoperative position.- the. Stripping operation iS ,effectodby.ensascmcntot the portion 37 of the i Slsigble .PQYPOQ 38d 0f thebracket, 33- .With .the tubdwhsn. the.; .Corriges stravllirls; Qn.- its.return SfOkei,

DuringA the forward in ovrementrofv the cradle or carriage 26 the.radial, portions 48, which' are pivotally, mounted, are 'rotated throughan` arc equal to*4 about 90 by aj'projection V50attheir lower endsengaging a. iixedvstop` 5l on', the. part 4 of the frame sothat duringvthe'. return of 'the carriageor cradle 26 to causethe strippingk the Yradial'portionsh48 do not impede the delivery The stops are. rotatedthrough to release a long length of' of the short length of tube after'leaving the mandrel 8. The radial guides 48 are returned to theiroperative position just before the carriage or cradle 26 reaches thecharging position by the engagement of another projection 52 withanother fixed stop 53 on the frame.

rhemode of operation is as follows:-

The chute or guide 40 is filled with tubes from a suitable conveyormeans and the machine which includes ,the mandrel 8, the drum 14carrying the cam track 15 for the traversing action and the cam wheel 32for the cutting operation, is set in motion, all movements beingSynchronized.

It will be assumed that a tube has been fed into the cradle 28 duringone of the dwell periods of the traversing members corresponding to.rvthe kposition shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, whereupon theroller 22 mounted in the underside of the bracket 3,8 is transferredfrom the circumferential ijioltion` of the cam track 15e to thediagonal. hQlton 15a to cause the cradle or carriage 26 to moveV forwardto 131.8%13116 tuheupon the mandrel` 8 by engagement ofthe, guidingportion 10a on, the crosshead bracket 1 2, with one end of thetube. Thestripping ring or collar 37 travels in front of the tube upon themandrel 8 untill the slidaloley portion 38a of the, crosshead bracket 38engages the stop54 onu the part 3 of, the frame allowing the gapjbetween the stripping projection or ring 37 to be, closed up. By thistime the roller 2,2 has been transferred from the diagonally arrangedcamL track 15a to the circumferential:

portion 15b of the camtrack 15 to calle the 110 necessaryI dwell.ADuring the'forward travel the radial guides are rockedthrough 9C)VDready for tliiereturmjourney. The rotary knives 2'7`which arc, timedforthe arrival` of thev tube are rocked forward to sever the tube intothedesired short lengthsby thelroller 3l on' the lever 3Q engaging lth e ,cam Wheel 32 the spring 38retu1ning the knives 27 to their rest positionimmediately afterwards, The roller 2,2 istransferred from thecircumferential portion 15b of the cam track l5 to thel reversediagonalpt )rtionv 15d tocarry the cradle or carriage 26., and consequentlyY thestripping bracket 37,l b ackwardly to deliver the short tubesintoareceptacle orchute., The p rojection 4'7v onthe lower part ot the`stops, 41- engagea projection 4 6.Y to cause a long length of tube to befed o n totheradialguides 48 which have also been returned to theirlnormalposition on the return journey by therprojection 52 i engaging thestopr 53 Whereuponthe cycle of operationis, repeated automatically.

In ain'odillcation. ofj thel invention a pair of man( i,ryels 60,4 61,areA employedvbeingv operated from, one source and employing. only.,one.- 6,2toY effect-the traversing ofthe cradles or carriages 63asilliistrated,diagrammatically. in Fig*- ure,5 of the; drawings.;

We declare that' what We claim isz-f l. A machine for cutting up lengthsof card-- board or like tube into relatively short sections comprisingarotatable`- mandreha cradle adaptedtoA receive lengths of tube onev at.a time, a rotatable drum having a. cam track formed therein,v anactuating member extending fromv said cradle andengaging in, saidy camtrack to causedisplacement of thecradle longitudinally ofE ,the mandrelfor delivering and withdrawing tubes. tol-and; from the mandrel, apluralityof knives movable towards .and away from the man-- drel andmeans for automatically displacing said knives towards the mandrel toout the tube into sections whilst rotating with the mandrel.

2. A machine for cutting up lengths of cardboard or like tube intorelatively short sections comprising a rotatable mandrel, a cradleadapted to receive lengths of tube one at a time, a rotatable drumhaving a cam track formed therein, a roller supported from said cradleand engaging in said cam track to cause displacement of the cradlelongitudinally of the mandrel for delivering and withdrawing tubes toandfrom the mandrel, a plurality of knives movable towards and away fromthe mandrel and means for automatically displacing said knives towardsthe mandrel to cut the tube into sections whilst rotating with themandrel.

3. A machine for cutting up lengths of cardboard or like tube intorelatively short sections comprising a rotatable mandrel, a cradleadapted to receive lengths of tube one at a time, a rotatable drumhaving a cam track formed therein, an actuating member extending fromsaid cradle and engaging in said cam track to cause displacement of thecradle longitudinally of the mandrel for delivering and withdrawingtubes to and from the mandrel, said cam track comprising circumferentialportions one at each end of the drum adapted to cause the cradle todwell for a predetermined period of time at each end of its stroke andinclined portions connecting diagonally opposite ends of Saidcircumferential portions adapted to cause traversing of the cradle, aplurality of knives movable towards and away from the mandrel and meansfor automatically displacing said knives towards the mandrel to cut thetube into sections whilst rotating with the mandrel.

4. A machine for cutting up lengths of cardboard or like tube intorelatively short sections comprising a rotatable mandrel, a cradleadapted to receive lengths of tube one at a time, a rotatable drumhaving a cam track formed therein, an actuating member extending fromsaid cradle and engaging in said cam track to cause displacement of thecradle longitudinally of the mandrel for delivering and withdrawingtubes to and from the mandrel, said cam track comprising circumferentialportions one at each end of the drum adapted to cause the cradle todwell for a predetermined period of time at each end of its stroke andinclined portions connecting diagonally opposite ends of saidcircumferential portions adapted to cause traversing of the cradle,pairs of gate members at the junction of said inclined cam trackportions adapted to be simultaneously displaced by engagement therewithof said actuating member from a position in line with one track portionto a position in line with the other track portion,. a plurality ofknives movable towards and away from the mandrel and means forautomatically displacing said knives towards the mandrel to cut the tubeVinto sections whilst rotating with the mandrel.

GEORGE CALVERT PATON.

JAMES STANLEY PATON.

